While the liberal broadcast networks had spent plenty of time pushing lies about the Republican Party purportedly trying to roll back voting rights and bring back Jim Crow laws, they didn’t care that House Democrats were cooking up a plot to steal a House seat from the Iowa Republican woman who rightfully won the district back in November.
As Fox News Channel anchor Bret Baier noted during Monday’s Special Report, “Republicans are calling it an obvious power play to pad the speaker’s slim majority.”
But instead of reporting on Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) machinations and calling an assault on our democracy, ABC’s World News Tonight talked about the weather, CBS Evening News showed drone footage of an erupting volcano, and NBC Nightly News deflected blame away from President Biden for the rising price in gas.
In stark contrast, Fox News chief Washington correspondent Mike Emanuel drew attention to the shady Democratic plot. “Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks won the Iowa District 2 House race by six votes and was sworn into office. But 139 days after the election, congressional Democrats are considering stepping in to give it to the Democrat Rita Hart,” he reported.
The plot was apparently getting serious thought because the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee had hired a lawyer to try and make it happen:
Election attorney Marc Elias has been hired by the Democrats campaign committee, the DCCC. Elias says there were 22 legal ballots not counted in the November election and argues “federal law provides that this context is the proper avenues to make sure all legal ballots are counted and we have credible evidence to support their conclusion in the final tally.”
“It's not clear Democrats have the votes to do it,” Emanuel added. “Minnesota Democrat Congressman Dean Phillips tweeted today, ‘Just because a majority can, does not mean a majority should.’ And he's not alone.”
Emanuel spoke with Democratic Congressman David Price (NC), who didn’t think the plot had the support:
EMANUEL: Do you worry though about Washington basically overruling Iowa?
PRICE: I don't think there's the slightest chance that that would happen. I think – I have confidence that all sides of that House Administration Committee process are well aware of how sensitive and difficult this is.
But it was the Democrats being discussed, and nothing was below them.
As a possible good sign for Republicans, Emanuel recalled that historically “Congress has reviewed 110 contested races over the past 90 years,” and “only three have resulted in the declared winner being ousted and replaced by Congress.”
Aside from the lies against Republicans on voting rights, the double standard was clear. If the roles were reversed in the House or Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) tried something similar in the Senate, the media and the rest of the left world be apoplectic.
Apparently, stealing a seat from a duly elected representative wasn’t an attack on our democracy.
The network blackout on the Democratic plot to steal an Iowa House seat was made possible because of lucrative sponsorships from Progressive on ABC, TD Ameritrade on CBS, and WeatherTech on NBC. Their contact information is linked so you can tell them about the biased news they fund.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
Fox News Channel’s Special Report
March 22, 2021
6:17:59 p.m. EasternBRET BAIER: House Democrats are considering a move that would take a seat away, a congressional seat from a Republican who won it last November. Republicans are calling it an obvious power play to pad the speaker’s slim majority. We brought you this story before, but this is an update. Chief Washington correspondent Mike Emanuel has details.
[Cuts to video]
MIKE EMANUEL: Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks won the Iowa District 2 House race by six votes and was sworn into office. But 139 days after the election, congressional Democrats are considering stepping in to give it to the Democrat Rita Hart. A move Republicans are calling out.
REP. CATHY MCMORRIS ROGERS (R-WA): She's a duly elected representative in the House of Representatives. And if Speaker Pelosi tries to change the outcome, it would be an abuse of power by the speaker.
EMANUEL: Election attorney Marc Elias has been hired by the Democrats campaign committee, the DCCC. Elias says there were 22 legal ballots not counted in the November election and argues “federal law provides that this context is the proper avenues to make sure all legal ballots are counted and we have credible evidence to support their conclusion in the final tally.”
It's not clear Democrats have the votes to do it. Minnesota Democrat Congressman Dean Phillips tweeted today, “Just because a majority can, does not mean a majority should.” And he's not alone.
Do you worry though about Washington basically overruling Iowa?
REP. DAVID PRICE (D-NC): I don't think there's the slightest chance that that would happen. I think – I have confidence that all sides of that House Administration Committee process are well aware of how sensitive and difficult this is.
EMANUEL: The House Administration Committee’s actually reviewing a second contested race; Republican Jim Oberweis is challenging Democrat Congresswoman Lauren Underwood’s victory in Illinois’ 14th congressional district. That race was considered too close to call for more than a week after Election Day.
[Cuts back to live]
Congress has reviewed 110 contested races over the past 90 years, according to a House Administration Committee spokesman. Only three have resulted in the declared winner being ousted and replaced by Congress. There is no statutory deadline for the committee to complete its work so this could take some time. Bret.
BAIER: We’ll follow this. Mike, thank you.
